Sanitary attachment for disinfecting telephone mouthpieces



Aug. 29, 1950 R. L.. L r-:wls n 2,520,417

ATTACHMENT DT FECTING SANITARY TELEPHONE MOU IE Filed July 9, 1948 51m/umu icm Ray L z. .5W/s,

Patented ug. 29, 1950 SANITARY ATTACHMENT FOR DISINFECT- ING TELEPHONE MUTHPIECES Roy L. Lewis, Decatur, Ga. Application July 9, 1948, Serial No. 37,856

7 Claims. (Cl. 179-185) This invention relates to telephone transmitters and is particularly directed to improving the sanitary properties thereof through the use of replaceable filters in conjunction with themouthpiece of telephone transmitters.

It has heretofore been proposed to provide various types of attachment mounting removable discs of filter paper or equivalent filter elements for use in conjunction with telephone transmitter mouthpieces. According to the present invention a special form of filter element is provided for mounting on the mouthpiece itself. Additionally, the transmitter mouthpiece may be modified from conventional constructions to reliably secure removably replaceable `filter elements on the mouthpiece.

The invention will be more fully understood by reference to the illustrative embodiment thereof in the accompanying drawing.

In such drawing,

Fig. 1 is a vertical cross-sectional View of a device embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a side View, partly in section and partly in elevation, corresponding to Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary cross section taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 2; i

Fig. 4 is a rear view of a filter element; and,

Fig. 5 is a side View, partly in section, of the filter element shown in Fig. 4.

A telephone transmitter mouthpiece cap is shown in Figs. 1 to 3, comprising an annular body portion Iil having an internally threaded flange II at its rear end and mounted on a telephone transmitter such as indicated at I2. Such body portion surrounds a central apertured voice transmitting area. Such area may be entirely open, or, as shown, include a relatively thin portion I3 integral with body IQ and having a multiplicity of voice perforations I4. Portion I3 `is located somewhat inwardly from the outer end of annular body IB. The mouthpiece and cap so far described are conventional.

The special filter element of the invention is best shown in Figs. 4 and 5. The same comprises a circular disc I5 having a rearwardly eX- tending peripheral flange I 5. Flange I E is of an internal diameter such as to closely fit the outer periphery of the annular body portion IG of the mouthpiece cap adjacent to its outer end. Preferably also, flange I6 meets disc I5 of the filter element in a curve conforming to the usual curve between the outer periphery and outer end of the mouthpiece body portion.

The lter element should be of paper or other material having voice transmitting properties or if other material is employed, multiple perforations, not shown, similar to perforations I4` in mouthpiece portion I3 may be provided.

By making flange it ofthe filter element relatively stifl and of sufficient depth the element may be removably supported on the mouthpiece and in covering relations with the voice transmitting central area merely through frictional engagement of flange I6 with the outer periphery of the mouthpiece body portion lil. However, for reliability of mounting and particularly, where, as shown, the mouthpiece periphery tapers rea;- wardly, it is desirable to provide retaining means for holding the nlter element flange in position on the mouthpiece. In its preferrediorm such a retaining means includes an annular groove in the outer periphery in the mouthpiece body portion Ii] at or about the plane of maximum diameter of the mouthpiece. Coactive with such groove is a retaining ring IS having maximum diameter the same as or slightly larger than the maximum diameter of the mouthpiece. Ring IS is constructed of resilient metal and while having a generally circular shape it is provided with resilient flattened side portions IQ. Between the opposing side portions I9 the ring is reduced in diameter to the diameter of groove il, as will be understood from Fig. 2, so that flange I5 of the filter element is pressed into groove El, at recurrent circumferential points and held in gripping engagement 'by side portions I9 of the ring. Because` of the resilient character of ring I8 it will expand in diameter at side portions I9 to permit ready application to and removal from the mouthpiece of both the ring and the filter element.

For convenience retaining ring I8 may be mounted on the mouthpiece as by a hinge 2Q anchored in the mouthpiece body Iii rearwardly of groove I1 and connecting with a rearwardly offset portion ZI formed on the ring.

One advantage of providing the retaining means is that the supply of the flange filter elements becomes exhausted. Flat sheet tissue paper or other material which is not too stiff can he employed as a filter element by cutting the same to a size somewhat larger than the diameter of the mouthpiece and bringing the margin thereof against the periphery of the mouthpiece. The retaining ring Will coact with groove il to hold the margin at the recurrent flanged ring side portions I9. Even though other areas of the filter paper margin are not positively gripped the entire circumference of the margin is embraced by the ring and a satisfactory mounting on the mouthpiece is obtained.

The mounting of a filter element on the outer end of a telephone transmitter mouthpiece not only provides a simple construction but gives sanitary protection to the outer end of the annular body portion of the mouthpiece as well as to the voice transmitting central area. Where, as preferred, retaining means are provided to insure against falling on of a filter element when the telephone transmitter is in use suchret'ain7 ing means may include a simple resilient ring embracing the mouthpiece which is hardly noticeable and which does notl Iinterfere with the use of the telephone transmitter. v

As has previously been pointed yout the Vfilter element retaining means and the particulariorm of filter element shown in Figsfl and 5 may b'e employed apart from each other las *well vv*asin combination. The scope of the invention is to be adjudged from the appendant claims.

Iclaim: A l

1. A :sanitary unit *for telephone transmitters comprising 'a transmittermouthpiece vcap having an annular `body portion surrounding an napertured'central area, a removable lter Vdisc mounted on'the outer vend of rvthe annular body portion and having .a peripheral Asupporting ilange extending laterally therefrom and snugly `embracing the outer periphery of the annular body portion and retaining means detachably securing 'the lilter disc flange imposition on the outer periphery at the annular body'portion.

2. A sanitary unit yfor telephone transmitters 'comprising Va Vtransmitter mouthpiece vcaprhaving an annular kbody portion surrounding anapertured central area, a 'removable lter disc mounted on the outer end'of the annular body portion and having a peripheral supporting flange surrounding the outerperiphery of the annular body portion and a removable expansible ring surrounding the filter disc flange and `securing the flange in gripping engagement with the outer periphery of the annular body portions.

3. A sanitary unit for telephone transmitters comprising a transmitter mouthpiece cap `having an annular body portion surrounding an'aper tured central area, a"removable lter discmounted on the outer end of the annularbody portion and having a peripheral 'supporting flange surrounding the 4outer periphery of the annular body portion, a removable retaining ring surrounding the lter disc ange and vcoa'ctive with annular body portion to secure the ange Yin position andhinge means secure'drto the annular body portion andmountingtheretainmgring for swinging movement outwardly over the outer' end 'of the annular 'bo/dyV portion.

4. A-sanitary'unit for "telephone transmitters comprising va transmitter mouthpiece caphaving an annular `body portion 'surrounding an apertured central "area, a'removablefilter disc mounted on the outer endo .the annular-,body portion yand having ay peripheral supporting' ange 'surrounding the i outer `,periphery of rthe Vannular body portion, .a circumferential groove vin the 'outer periphery of 'the "annular body portion 4 underlying the lter disc flange and a removable resilient ring surrounding the ilange at the plane of the groove and coactive with the groove to anchor the flange in position on the annular body portion.

5. A sanitary unit for telephone transmitters comprising a ytransmitter mouthpiece cap hav- Ving anjannular body portion surrounding an apertured central area, a removable lter disc 4mounted on the outer end of the annular body wportion and having a peripheral supporting flange vsurroi'mdirig `the'outer periphery of the annular Vbody portion, a circumferential groove in the -outer periphery of the annular body portion underlying the lter disc flange, a resilient retainingring lsurrounding the ange and coactive with the groove to anchor the flange in position on the annular body portion and hinge means secured to the annular body portion mounting the ring'inthe plane of the groove and for swinging movement outwardly over the -end of vthe annular body' portion.

V6. A mouthpiece cap for telephonetransmitters for use with a filter-element comprising van annularbody portion surroundingan apertured central area `and havingan outer v end provided with means for `seating a filterelementfaremovable retaining ring surrounding the outer periphery of the annular body portion-and having means for clamping aifil-ter element to the outer periphery of the annular body portion and'fhinge means secured to theannular body portion-and mounting the retaining ring for outward swinging movement over the end of the annular body portion.

7. A mouthpiece cap for telephone transmitters for-use with `a ilter element comprising an vannular body portion surrounding -an aperturedfcentrai area and having an outer end-provided with means for seating a lilter element, a circumferential groove in theV outer periphery of the l'annular body portion and a removable resilient retainingring surrounding the annular "body portion and being coactive with the groove to clamp a nlter element to the outer'peripheryofthe annular rbody portion.

'ROY L.-'LEW`IS.

`ClL-'llED The following references'are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STAT-Es PATENTS Number Name Date 242,156 Raymond Mayv 31, 1881 7'77,'67 Crunkshank Dea l13, `'1904 949,159 Savage Feb. '10, 1910 1,398,029 Lee Nov. 22,1921 1,946,617 '-Elboz "Feb, -13, 1934 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 525,331 -Great Britain Feb. 20, 1930 y322,933 Great-Britain Dec. 19, 1929 

